Friday, November 10, 2017

November 10, 2017
It has been a busy week at Spearfish Middle School!! We traveled to Ft. Meade on Wednesday and had an amazing "Day in the Life of a Soldier". We also honored veterans at today's assembly. We thank student council, the band, the choir, and all others who made that assembly possible. In math class, we have also been very busy!

First period math wrapped up a section about unit rates. They used strategies such as division, equivalent ratios, and rate tables to determine unit rates (price per one unit, amount per one unit, etc.). We then began to look at positive and negative numbers on a number line. We even threw some fractions in the mix. Next week, we will continue with negative numbers and the idea of absolute value before we move on to comparing fractions and mixed numbers. If you are in first period math and reading this, please share your thoughts on ratios, rates, and unit rates. How are ratios, rates, and unit rates different? How are they the same?

Second and third period math classes have been working really hard on equivalent fractions, equivalent ratios, and fractional parts of a whole. We looked at amounts of money raised in a fundraiser. We used strategies such as equivalent fractions, division, and multiplication to determine how much money was raised based on the fraction of an original goal. Students in second and third period, comment below if you want to share what you know about equivalent fractions or equivalent ratios. How do we find/calculate equivalent fractions and equivalent ratios? Why do we have to do the same to the top of a fraction as we do to the bottom (do the same thing to the numerator and the denominator)?
Students are expanding their mathematical understanding daily. It is such a joy to see students taking positive mathematical risks and sharing their thinking in class.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Brownie Problem:

Add your thoughts, questions, and ideas to the comments section. Be sure to explain your thinking so that others know what you are thinking.😎Would you rather be one of five people sharing a pan of brownies cut into ten pieces or one of six people sharing a pan of brownies cut into twelve pieces? Explain your reasoning.

Math World with Mrs. Aberle is a new blog that I will attempt to work on. This is a new adventure for me, so I'm not sure how it will go........ With that being said, I want to take time to share what we do in our math classroom and share strategies that we use to solve problems. It is my goal that students will access the blog and add their own thinking to questions that I pose. I also hope to have students begin creating blog posts about their learning in our "math world" and how that learning is connected to their every day worlds. As I said, this is a new adventure, so wish me luck!😳